Automatic sheet feeding device



May 23, 1939.

G. SPIESS AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 23, 1939. (5y SPIESS 'AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 23, 1939.

G. SPIESS AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17. 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /n venlvn;

Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 11, 1937, Serial No. 180,440 In Germany November 23. 1936 12 Claim;

This invention relates to an automatic sheet feeding device comprising sheet separating and feeding means engaging the rear edge of the pile and being adjustable on a driving shaft which extends above'the pile in the direction of the sheet travel.

In the known types of sheet feeders of this class the parts cooperating in the separation and feeding of the sheets, such as the suction nozzles for separating the sheets, the sheet feeding means, the pile height feeler for controlling pile feeding and also the starting and stopping means for suction and blast air, are driven by lifting cams arranged on a control shaft extending transversely to the feeding direction. This requires the provision of an intermediate gear between the control shaft adjustably disposed in the separating means and the driving shaft firmly arranged in feeding direction. A construction of this kind is quitecomplex and increases the height of the device above the pile besides raising the cost.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned devices the suction nozzles are tipped by air suction which affords the advantage of relative simpiicity. However, in case of greater output of the machine, tipping on which the feeding of single sheets chiefly depends cannot be effected quickly enough and easily causes service troubles due to the picking up of two sheets. Mechanical tipping does not involve this risk.

According to the invention, air control of tipping is therefore replaced by mechanical tipping control in such manner that the driving mechanism for the separating and feeding means is not enlarged thereby. This is effected by deriving the tipping control of the separating suction members from their up and down motion'with the aid of a fixed cam or stop member. Adjustable arrangement of the cam member and the provision of curves make it furthermore possible to adjust the degree of tipping, to maintain the tipping position during upward motion and to abolish it toward the end of the movement. The drawings illustrate a constructional example of a sheet feeding device according to the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the separating and feeding device in which, for better comprehension, the mechanism for moving the separating and feeding means is not shown or only different positions of these means are indicated.

The movement tracks of the members coming into contact with the sheets are indicated by dotted lines.

Figs. 2-7 are elevations, viewed from the same side, of the parts omittedin Fig. 1, and in fact Fig. 2 illustrates the mechanism for the separating nozzles and for the air control,

Figs. 3-5 show different positions of the separating nozzle mechanism shown in Fig. 2 and the control curve.

Fig. 6 shows the sheet holder and pile height feeler with the parts appertaining thereto, and

Fig. 7 shows the mechanism of the feeding 10 nozzles.

On a supporting shaft I and a driving shaft 2 the body of the sheet separating and feeding dcvice 3 is arranged so as to be adjustable in the direction of the sheet travel. Between the bear- 15 ings 4 and 5 of the key-way shaft 2, the curved cam member 6 is guided after the manner of a fork so that an axial movement of the latter with regard to the frame 3 is prevented, whilst a key I causes the rotation of the cam member 6 with 20 the shaft 2. The cam member '6 is provided with four running tracks for rollers, three of which extend in an axial direction and one in a radial direction. The radial runningtrack 8 causes the up and down movement as also the tipping of the separating nozzles l2. The running track, 9 moves the sheet holder and pile height feeler l3, and the running track Hi moves the conveying nozzles' ll. The running track H serves for the air control. It is arranged on a smaller area than the track III in order to leave space for the roller l5 running on ID.

The transmission of motion from the roller tracks 8 and II to the nozzles 12 or to the valve respectively, can be seen from Fig. 2. On a 35 bearing l6 arranged rigidly on the housing a roller lever I8 is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt ll. The said roller lever I8 carries the rollers l9 and 20. The roller l9 takes its movement from the running track 8; the roller 20 40 transmits the movement to the fiat slide 2|. A

spring, which is not illustrated, draws the roller l9 against the-running track 8. The slide 2| is guided between the frame 3 and covering bars 22. It carries atits lower end three bolts 23, 24 45 and 25. At 23 and 24 the levers 26 and 21 are journalled, which levers carry in common the connecting lever 28. The lever 28 is clamped rigidly or rigidly and adjustably on the suction pipe 28, which forms at the same time the link 50 pin between levers 28 and 21. On the suction pipe 29 two or more suctionnozzles i2 are fixed. Further, a hose sheath 30 is rotatably mounted on a perforated part of the pipe 29 and a flexible tube 3| provides the suction air connection 55 between the valve body i2 and the nozzles 12.

During the up anddown movement of the slide 2| a roller arranged on the lever 21 is moved along the running track of a roller guide 84. As soon as the roller 38, during the downward guiding movement, reaches the inclined track 85, the

lever 21 is swung around the bolt 24, and the downward movement of the nozzle I2 is thereby stopped whilst the slide 2| moves onward without hindrance. There arises in this way by a suitable choice of the lever arm a tipping movement of the lever l2 around the nonle edge 85. The lower position of the slidell corresponds to the nozzle position shown in Fig. 3. During the immediately succeeding upward movement of the slide the nozzle remains in the inclined position until the roller 58 reaches the inclined track 81 and swings back the lever. Since the roller 88 only runs on to the roller track 84 on one side, the levers 25, 21, 28 are free-to move; in order now to cut out unintended movements the link 24 'is braked by the pressure of a roller 88 against the running track 58 of the lever 31. The roller 28 is arranged on a bell crank lever 48, which ispivotally connected at 25 to the slide II, and is subjected to the pull of a spring 4| located on the slide. The running track 39 may run circularly around the point 24 but it may also be provided with stop-like recesses and, for example, as illustrated, its distance with regard to the point 24 may decrease so that bymeans of the roller 38 a turning moment is exercised on the lever 21 immediately the latter has left the circular part of the running track.

* The roller track 34 is displaceable in the direction perpendicular to the pile surface by means of a spindle 42, which can be screwed upwards and downwards in the guide 48 fixed to the housing 3, by means of the adjusting nut 44. Meanwhile the bolt 45 rigid with the housing serves as a, lower. lateral guide. The effect of such a displacementof the roller guide is shown in Fig. 5. In Figs. M the total path of the slide Ill is indicated by the line 45. A mark," on the slide 2| shows the position of the slide at any given time. Figs. 3 and thus show the same slide position but on the other hand the position of the roller track is different as can be seen from the position of the bolt 45. This difference brings about the result that the roller 88 reaches the inclined track 35 later during the downward movement with the roller guide 54 in the lower position, so that the tipping movement begins lower down and is correspondingly smaller than in Fig. 3.

The tipping edge 85 of the nozzle thus lies when the tipping movement is small, nearer to the pile surface determined by the feeler l8, than when the tipping movement is large, so that by the-adjustment of the nut 44 the tipping movement and air pipe 58 and during its movement consequently .tums the latter in the valve 82, which is rigidly fixed on the frame 8. During this movement a slot 54 of the pipe 53 becomes connected now with the separating nozzle conduit 55. now with the feed nozzle conduit 55. Outwardly open channels 5'! connect the conduit which is being separated at any given time from the suctim air with.

the outer air. 7

From Fig. 6 themecbanismformovingthepile height feeler, which serves at the same time'as a sheet holder, can be seen. The roller track 9 moves, against the action of the spring 58, the, lever 58 provided with the roller 59 around the fixed point 6|. A press rod 62 transmits the movement to an arm 63 of the rocking arm 64 of a rectangular linkage, which is provided with a second rocking arm 65 and a coupling lever 66. On the coupling lever 65 the feeler foot 61 is arranged, which feeler memberdescribes the path of movement shown in Fig. 6. On the rocking arm. an arm 68 is arranged, which controls a pile transport valve of a kind known per se. In the position shown in Fig. 6 the valvecone 69 is raised so that the suction conduit comes into connection with the conduit ll leading to the transport control, and causes an upward movement of the pile.

The feed nozzle movement is shown in Fig. '7. The rollertrack Ill moves the lever 13 provided with a roller l5 against the spring 12. The lever 13 and also two levers 14 formed by tubes, are clamped on a tube. In the two leyers 14 a tube 16 is mounted, on which last-named tube two tube levers 'I'l anda guide lever 18 are clamped. The guiding of the guide lever 18 is effected by a rocking lever 19 which is pivotally mounted on a carrier 88 journalled on the frame 3. The nozzles l4 on the levers Il may be regarded as part of a coupling which'is constituted by the levers I1 and I8 and the tube I6, and represents together with'the rocking arms 19 and I4 a rectangular linkage. The edge of the nozzle l4 meanwhile For pre-loosening the pile 8| and for separating the sheet from the pile the blast members 83 and 82 shown in Fig. 1 serve. The said blast members are arranged in a. bearing arm 84 rigid with the frame 3, in such manner that they can be deflected by movement upwards if this is necessary for any particular reason. The means for limiting downward movement is constituted by the clamping member 85 which surrounds the two blast pipes 82 and 83.

I claim:

1. An automatic sheet feeding, device whose sheet separating and feeding means engage the rear edge of the pile and are adjustable along a driving shaft extending above the pile in feeding direction, comprising a driving shaft, sheet separating and feeding means, a curved cam member longitudinally displaceably yet non-rotatably mounted on the driving shaft, a pile height feeler controlling the pile transport and starting -and stopping means for suction air, said separating and feeding means, feeler and starting and stopping means being controlled by said cam member.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein suction nozzles are moved up and down in a vertical plane by the cam member to lift the rear edge of the sheets and tipping motion of the suction nozzles is derived from this motion.

3. A device according to claim 1, whereinsuction nozzles are moved up and down in a vertical plane by the cam member to lift the rear edge of the sheets and tipping motion of the suction nozzles is derived from this motion, and wherein the suction nomles are arranged on a coupling of a rectangular'linkage disposed on an upwardly and downwardly moved carrier, the crank arm of said rectangular linkage being .controlled by a fixed curve or a stop.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein suction nozzles are moved up and down in a vertical plane by the cam member to lift the rear edge of the sheets and tipping motionof the suction nozzles is derived from this motion, and wherein the suction nozzles are arranged on a coupling of a rectangular linkage disposed 'on an upwardly and downwardly moved carrier,

-.the crank arm of said rectangular linkage being controlled by a fixed curve or stop, and the control curve for tipp is formed so as to maintain the tipping position during upward motion. 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein suctionnomies are moved up and down in a vertical plane by the cam member toiiftthe rear edge of the sheets and tipping motion of the suction nozzles is derived from this motion, and wherein the suction nozlm are arranged on a couplingofarectangularlinkagedisposedonan upwardly. and downwardly moved carrier, the crankarmofsaidrectangularlinkagebeingcontrolled by a fixed curve or stop, and the control curve for tipp g is formed so as to maintain the tipping position during upward motion and to return the suction member toward the end of the upward motion from tipping to initial position.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein suctionnozzlesaremovedup and downin avertical plancbythecammembertolifttherear'edge of the sheets and tipping motion of the suction nonles is derived from this motion, and wherein thesuctionnoszlesarearrangedonacoupling of a rectangular linkage disposed on an upwardly and downwardly moved carrier,-the crank arm of said rectangular linkage being controlled by a fixed curve or stop, and the control curve for tipping is formed so as to maintain the tipping position during upward motion and to return the suction member toward the end of the upwardmotion from tipping to initial position, and wherein positioning of the guide rod of the tipping rods at the control curves during up. and

downmotion is secured by a brake which renders diiiicult transverse motion of the roll without preventing it.

l the direction of sheet travel.

8.Adev ice accordingtoclalm 1, whereina rockesarmofarectangularlinkage for controlling the pile height feeler controlling the sheet transport and acting also as sheet holder is rear end of theupper leaf of a pile of leaves. said suction nozzles being further arranged for tipping movement, a driving shaft longitudinally disp sed of -the apparatus, a cam member non-' rotatably mounted on said driving shaft and adjustable therealong, and an' operative connection between the cam member and said noszles whereby rotation of the cam causes vertical and tipping movements of said nozzles.

11. In a sheet feeding apparatus. suction nozzles'movable vertically and engageable with the rear end of the upper leaf of a. pile of leaves, said suction nozzles being further arranged for tipping movement, a driving. shaft longitudinally disposed of the apparatus, a cam member nonrotatably mounted on said driving shaft and adjustable therealong, an operative connection between the cam member and said nozzles whereby rotation of the cam causes vertical and tipping movements of said nozzles, a vertically mov- -able carrier, a rectangular linkage-disposed on said carrier and supporting said nozzles, said linkage including a crank arm, and a fixed operating element in the path of said crank arm.

12. In a sheet feeding apparatus, suction nozzles movable vertically and engageable with the rear end. of the upper leaf of a pile of leaves, said suction nozzles being further arranged for tipping movement, a driving shaft longitudinally disposed of the apparatus, a cam member nonrotatably mounted on said driving shaft and mentthereof. I

GIORG 

